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The first four commandments of the law teach us how to love God, even how to love Him in worship on the day of His choosing. It is important for us to understand the fourth commandment, in which God gives His command for the day of His worship: "Remember the ...
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"Volumes have been written giving detailed analyses of the extraordinary things that occurred in the first thousand years of church history, events that influenced everything that came after them." In this brief article R.C. Sproul distills those volumes into just a few words, setting the stage for an examination of the tenth century, the period of time that is the particular focus of the August edition of Tabletalk.
Sproul points to five dimensions of activity that were particularly important in the first millennium of church history: the rise of the papacy, the innovations of pope Gregory the Great, the rise of the monastic movement, the great ecumenical councils of Nicea and Chalcedon and the life and ministry of Augustine of Hippo. He draws an unmistakable contrast between the vitality of the early church and the darkness that marked it by the end. Already by the close of the first millennium of church history "the church was already groping in the darkness and biblical soteriology had declined to such a degree that the gospel was rapidly becoming obscured, even becoming almost totally eclipsed until it was recovered in the sixteenth century Reformation."
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The first chapter of Romans tells us that sinful men willfully suppress the knowledge of God. This suppression manifests itself in two ways, first through eradicating the Creator/creature distinction and second in creating an alternative worldview as a replacement for the one that has been jettisoned. This alternate worldview always tends toward monism, the belief that truth will be found within creation rather than outside of it. This is the topic of James Herrick's recent book Scientific Mythologies. And here pastor Dan Dodds offers a review of what appears to be a fascinating title.
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The paradise atop Eden’s mount is described in Genesis 2-3 as a well-watered Garden with an abundance of fruit trees, a place where humanity and animals lived in harmony. These physical blessings, however, were but tokens (and small ones at that) of the greater delight of their Source: the very life-giving Presence of God. After Adam and Eve’s sin, and consequent descent from the mountain of the LORD, the biblical narrative continues to deal with the dilemma: How shall we abide in the divine Presence — who shall ascend?
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In this introductory article to the August edition of Tabletalk, Burk Parsons writes about confession and the Roman Catholic sacrament of penance. "Although historically Rome has taught the necessity of both private and public confession of sin, many Catholics have been persuaded that only when they confess their sins to their priests, are absolved, and do penance that they really possess the forgiveness of God."
Parsons then introduces us to Simeon, a tenth-century Christian who called the church to more than mere outward performance. "Through the centuries the Lord has continued to sustain and reform His church by raising up faithful men to proclaim His gospel and to call His people to live coram Deo, before His face, in genuine repentance, humble confession, and authentic faith leading to a life wholeheartedly devoted to God."
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Our shipping department will be closed Wednesday, August 4th, through Saturday, August 7th, for inventory. Tuesday will be the last day orders will be shipped. Shipping will resume as normal on Monday, August 9th. Orders may still be placed during this time, and we will ship them as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience as we work on inventory this week.
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The August edition of Tabletalk is out. This month's issue continues our ongoing series on the history of the church by presenting highlights from the tenth century, including its historical, theological, and practical ramifications. Contributors include C. Fitzsimmons Allison, Chris Donato, Collin Hansen, Keith Mathison, Burk Parsons, R.C. Sproul, and R.C. Sproul Jr.
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Since the 1973 Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, the question of the status of the human embryo (and fetus) has been at the center of heated political debate, typically focusing on the issue of abortion. Such debate has only intensified as disputes over stem cell research have entered the public consciousness as well. The ethical questions involved in these issues are numerous. The most significant question, however, is the one that is often overlooked as rhetoric about “choice” and “privacy” drowns it out. This question that must remain at the forefront of such debates is this: At what point does the life of an individual human being begin?
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The word philosophy derives from a combination of two Greek words: phileo (“to love”) and sophia (“wisdom”). Literally, philosophy means “love of wisdom.” The ancient Greeks, who are usually credited with developing the science of philosophy, were also concerned with abstract metaphysics and epistemology. However, the question of ethics was of paramount importance to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates sought to reduce virtue or ethics to “right knowledge.” Plato sought the ultimate standard of the good.
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